76 people ‘made 41% of donations’

Just 76 people accounted for 41% of all individual and corporate donations made to the political parties and other political causes in Britain over the past five years, it has been reported.

The first Sunday Times Political Rich List, published this weekend, found that 25 individuals had given more than £1 million each, accounting for 28% of £174.4 million donated in private and corporate cash between 2010 and 2014.

The list is topped by the Scottish EuroMillions lottery winners Colin and Chris Weir who together gave £6.5 million to the SNP and the Yes Scotland campaign, the paper said.

They are followed by the City financier Lord Farmer, who gave more than £5 million to the Conservatives, while JCB chairman Lord Bamford and other members of his family, were said to have given the Tories a combined total of £3.6 million.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville was reported to have donated more than £3.5 million to various political causes – including £542,329 to Labour and to David Miliband, although he stopped giving to the party directly since David’s brother Ed Miliband became leader in 2010.